Paralyzed By Israeli Missile, Child Faces Israeli Legal System

The Israeli Supreme Court delayed, Thursday, deliberation in an appeal filed on behalf of a Palestinian child from Gaza who was paralyzed by an Israeli missile that also killed several family members in Gaza.Maria Aamen is now 11, but when she was only three years old, an Israeli missile struck a civilian vehicle in Gaza leading to the death of her mother, grandmother and her 7-year old brother.

Maria did not die in the attack but was seriously injured when the explosion threw her body out of the car causing Quadriplegia; seven Palestinians were injured in the attack.

Maria now lives in Um Al-Fahem, north of the country, receiving medical attention at a specialized Israeli medical center.

Following her serious injury, the Israeli Supreme Court made a rare decision in favor of Maria allowing her to receive the needed medical treatment.

But the Israeli Defense Ministry did not want to pay the expenses for Mariaâ€™s treatment, and in 2007, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, decided to stop the funding for her treatment.

Since then, the family of Maria has been in legal battles with Israel, trying to ensure continued treatment in Israeli medical centers.

Defense Attorney, Adi Lustigman, stated that the Supreme Court decided to delay the deliberations until next week in order to study Mariaâ€™s medical file.

Lustigman presented the court with a detailed medical report outlining the health condition of the child, and informing the court that Maria constantly needs respirators, thorough medical attention, and is always dependent on her power chair.

Maria told the Bokra News Agency that she wants her â€śold life backâ€ť, and that she wants to be like other children, without her power chair, and without all of those machines.

â€śI want to live like other children do, I want to live without a power chair, without respiratorsâ€ť, she said, â€śAs a child, I was robbed of my basic rights to live in peace, the Israeli missile killed my dear mother, my brother, my grandmother, and my uncle, and left me in this conditionâ€ť.

â€śToday am fighting for my life in this court, trying to convince Israel to continue to pay for my much needed medical expensesâ€ť, Maria added, â€śAm still alive because of the extensive medical attention am receiving here, and my respirator, am moving around on my power chair, I canâ€™t move any part of my body, I can only move my headâ€ť.